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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wave · club · face · vault · object · branch · lean · bowl

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. face — to confront
  4. vault — a safe
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. object — an aim
  8. club — for golf
  9. lean — to bend
  10. face — part of the head
  11. object — a thing
  12. club — for dancing
  13. face — to point toward
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. club — a group
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. branch — a division
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. object — to protest
  24. bowl — a football final

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com